Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition (Initial Situation)
Going Nowhere, Slowly
Morris Bober runs a small grocery store in Brooklyn with his wife Ida and his daughter Helen. This might not seem too depressing at first, but…business is bad and getting worse. The family sees no way out, and then to top things off they're robbed. Violently. This initial situation sets the stage for Frank Alpine's arrival. He's the main character of the novel, so this section is buildup to his entrance.
Rising Action (Conflict, Complication)
A Troubled Man Becomes a Clerk
In their desperation, the Bober family employs Frank Alpine, a drifter who will work for peanuts. Unlike the Bobers, he's not a Jew. His assistance seems to help, but he has his sights set on Helen against the wishes of Morris and Ida (and for a while Helen). His presence is both a help and a burden. Unknown to the Bobers, Frank has been stealing from the register, justifying his thievery by the increased business he's brought to the store. Even worse, he's been spying on Helen while she showers and pressuring her for sex. In one sense, Frank is a resolution to a problem the Bobers have, but in another sense he's a cause of potential conflict and a whole lot of complication if his actions are discovered.
Climax (Crisis, Turning Point)
Temptations and an Unforgivable Crime
Morris catches Frank in the act of stealing. Despite Frank's protests and promises, Morris fires him. Frank loses his head in drink and, afraid he'll lose Helen forever, rapes her. After these events, Frank's relationships with Morris and Helen cannot ever be the same. He's harmed their relationships, perhaps irreparably.
Falling Action
Lingering, Unwanted
Frank lingers and takes it upon himself to open the store for business when Ida and Helen have to take Morris to the hospital. In their need, they have no choice but to keep him around. However, his place in their lives is fundamentally altered by what he did. We're seeing the fallout of his behavior. It takes a toll on him and on them.
Resolution (Denouement)
Life Goes On
Morris dies from pneumonia and Frank's place in the store becomes permanent. He struggles to keep business going and atone for his wrong to Helen. As if to make his place in their lives complete, he becomes a Jew.